A rapidly scaling FinTech startup experienced a significant data breach involving sensitive user information, posing immediate reputational, regulatory, and operational risks. The incident triggered heightened stakeholder concern:
Astrum’s Crisis and Issues Management task force partnered closely with the startup’s founder and leadership team to implement a coordinated, science-backed crisis communication plan:
Designed and executed stakeholder communications to reassure multiple stakeholders, maintain trust, and mitigate panic.
Streamlined internal messaging and workflows to prevent confusion, maintain operational focus, and ensure consistent information dissemination.
Provided strategic counsel for legal, forensic, and regulatory engagement, integrating crisis response into enterprise risk management processes.
Sharada is the Co-Founder and Chief Science Officer of Astrum and leads the evidence-based consulting practice, translating complex data into WinningKnowledge that empowers clients to strengthen reputation, pre-empt reputation risks, and build competitive advantage. She has nearly two decades of expertise in market research, public policy research, crisis preparedness and social impact, she has led high-impact studies for multinational corporations, domestic enterprises, and leading political parties.
An Economics (Honours) graduate with a master’s degree in Economics from the Delhi School of Economics, Sharada also holds executive certifications in Public Policy Analysis from the London School of Economics, UK, and in Transformational Leadership from XLRI Jamshedpur.
